PLENARY

OPENING OF THE MEETING: The President of COP-2, Indonesias Minister
of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, opened the third session of the Conference of
Parties to the CBD and urged delegates to consider the Convention in the broader context
of international action. Minister Maria Julia Alsogaray, Argentinas Secretary for
Environment and Natural Resources, was then elected by acclamation to serve as
President of COP-3. She called for effective measures to implement the Convention and
highlighted important issues, including: resource availability; the financial mechanism;
the establishment of norms to guide sustainable agricultural practices; and access to
genetic resources.

Mohamed El-Ashry, CEO of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), noted that relations
have been strengthened between the GEF and the Convention Secretariat and underscored
the importance of partnership-building in the search for sustainable development.

Reuben Olembo, Deputy Executive Director of UNEP, acknowledged progress made by
the CBD to date, but cautioned that the COP can no longer theorize but must act now. He
expressed hope that COP-3 would: initiate implementation of the CBD; adopt additional
practical resolutions; resolve outstanding issues; improve intergovernmental interaction;
and devise a mechanism for the Council of the GEF to solve the urgent needs of the
CBD.

CBD Executive Secretary Calestous Juma noted distinctive phases of the CBD: COP-1
established the organs necessary for internal function; COP-2 adopted decisions needed
to make the transition toward implementation; and COP-3 should attempt to implement
the CBD in the context of decisions made at COP-2, with few changes. He called for
implementation of the clearing-house mechanism (CHM) and enhanced collaboration
among related institutions. Deputy Assistant Administrator of UNDP Thelma Awori
emphasized the centrality of the CBDs goals to the organizations programmes and
affirmed UNDPs commitment to working in supportive partnership with UNEP, the
CBD Secretariat and other institutions to implement the Convention.

Costa Rica, on behalf of the G-77/CHINA, emphasized both the need to prioritize the
steps necessary to implement the Convention and the importance of promoting the third
objective of the Convention, the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the
use of genetic resources.

INTERSESSIONAL ACTIVITIES: Secretary of State for the Ministry of
Agriculture Feiter (Germany) presented the report from the Fourth International
Technical Conference on Plant and Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
(PGRFA) held in Leipzig from 17-23 June 1996. He stated that delegates adopted a
Global Plan of Action (GPA) for the conservation and utilization of PGRFA and the
Leipzig Declaration. He called for immediate implementation of the GPA at all levels.

The host countries of each of the four regional preparatory meetings reported the results
of their meetings, which were held in the weeks preceding COP-3. The report of the
Central and Eastern European Regional Preparatory Meeting (UNEP/CBD/COP/3/Inf.28)
outlined 14 recommendations, including training of national and regional focal points to
coordinate regional and sub-regional activities. The report of the African Regional
Preparatory Meeting (UNEP/CBD/COP/3/Inf.29) emphasized the urgent need for access
to financial resources and scientific and technical capacity-building, and deplored the
under-representation of African countries in CBD-related meetings. The report of the
Asian Regional Preparatory Meeting (UNEP/CBD/COP/3/Inf.30) expressed concern
regarding the growing perception of the CBD as a conservation tool and called for equal
consideration of all three CBD objectives. The report of the Latin American and
Carribean Regional Preparatory Meeting (UNEP/CBD/COP/ 3/Inf.31) recommended: a
two-year budget cycle to ensure smooth functioning of the administration of the CBD;
Secretariat staff positions to address the specific needs of SIDS; and use of the Internet to
complement, rather than replace, regular distribution through government-designated
channels. The Chair of SBSTTA-2, Peter Johan Schei (Norway), introduced the report of
SBSTTA-2 (UNEP/CBD/COP/3/3) and highlighted recommendations not on the COP-3
agenda, such as developing linkages with the existing scientific community and receiving
clear advice from the COP on how to get things developed at SBSTTA-3. The
PRESIDENT postponed discussion on the SBSTTA-2 report.

ITALY presented the results of the International Symposium on Mediterranean
Biodiversity held from 14-15 October in Rome. Highlighting the historical, cultural and
biogeographic importance of the Mediterranean, he called for a common science-based
approach to regional cooperation. SYRIA, reporting on an intersessional Arab regional
meeting on biodiversity, underscored the need for the COP to consider the importance of
preserving ancient monuments and the role of Arab women in protecting biodiversity.

A representative of the GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY FORUM, which was held from 1-3
November in Buenos Aires and attended by 145 people from 35 countries, outlined the
results of the meetings four workshops: investment in biodiversity; agriculture and
biodiversity; integrating biodiversity and land use; and biodiversity and indigenous
peoples. COORDINADORA INDIGENA DE LA CUENCA AMAZONICA noted that
indigenous peoples knowledge and practices have been taken without consent or
compensation, and called for recognition of their right to self-determination and respect
for the integrity of their lands and territories. NEPAL FEDERATION OF
NATIONALITIES outlined several recommendations for the implementation of Article
8(j) (indigenous knowledge, practices and innovations) including: realization of
indigenous peoples focal point positions within the Secretariat; funding to facilitate
participation of indigenous peoples in all aspects of work of the CBD; development of
alternatives to current IPR systems for the protection of indigenous knowledge systems; a
moratorium on bioprospecting and ethnobotanical collections within indigenous peoples
territories pending adequate protection mechanisms for indigenous knowledge; and an
open-ended intersessional working group on indigenous peoples and biodiversity.

OTHER INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS: Delmar Blasco, Executive
Secretary of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar
Convention), noted that the Ramsar Convention shares many of the same objectives as
the CBD and expressed his eagerness to implement the goals of the Memorandum of
Cooperation signed between the Ramsar Convention and the CBD in January 1996.

Arnulf M�ller-Helmbrecht, Executive Secretary of the Convention on the Conservation
of Migratory Species (Bonn Convention), announced the agreement between the Bureau
of the Bonn Convention and the CBD Secretariat on a Memorandum of Cooperation in
June 1996. He highlighted the need for a common approach to conservation and
utilization among the two conventions and appealed to the Parties to the CBD who have
not yet done so to sign the Bonn Convention so that conservation measures can be
undertaken in a more comprehensive manner.

Salvano Brice�o, representing the Desertification and Climate Change Secretariats,
outlined the activities under each convention and called for closer and more effective
cooperation between the Rio conventions, especially in the area of public education
and participation.

ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS: The Executive Secretary highlighted two
unresolved issues  contributions to the CBD Trust Fund and voting procedures. The
President invited comments on the provisional organization of work
(UNEP/CBD/COP/3/1/Add.2). AUSTRALIAs proposal to discuss the budget of the
Trust Fund after the medium-term work programme was supported by COLOMBIA, and
its suggestion to create a limited number of small working groups to facilitate full
consideration of the COP-3 agenda was supported by the EU. COLOMBIA, SENEGAL
and the SEYCHELLES cautioned against simultaneous working group meetings.
COLOMBIA emphasized implementing all three objectives of the CBD in a balanced
manner.

The Executive Secretary called for the establishment of a budget for 1997, noting the
need for an indicative budget at a minimum.

Also during the Plenary, the annotated provisional agenda (UNEP/CBD/COP/3/1/Add.1)
was adopted and Bureau members were elected as follows: Suzana Guziova (Slovakia)
and Igor Glukhovtsev (Kazakhstan); Manfred Schneider (Austria) and Louis Currat
(Switzerland); Fran�ois Ndeckere-Ziangba (Central African Republic) and Terry Jones
(Seychelles); and Mohammed Reza Salamat (Iran) and Ra�d Bani Hani (Jordan). The
Latin American and Caribbean regional group had not yet appointed its representatives.